cardigan
/ˈkɑːdɪɡən/noun
cardigan is spelled C-A-R-D-I-G-A-N: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,073rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, cardigan means “A type of sweater or jumper that fastens up the front with buttons or a zipper, usually machine- or hand-knitted from wool” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of cardigan is cardigans.
How many letters and syllables are in cardigan?
| Letters | 8: C-A-R-D-I-G-A-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.6 times per million words; the 22,073rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is cardigan?
Cardigan appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,073rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce cardigan?
- UK /ˈkɑːdɪɡən/
Cardigan has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-cardigan.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with cardigan?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as cardigan (/ɑdɪɡən/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: arcading.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of cardigan
- cardigans plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does cardigan mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A type of sweater or jumper that fastens up the front with buttons or a zipper, usually machine- or hand-knitted from wool.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Cardigan in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense type of sweater:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | cardigan, veste |
| German | Strickjacke, Cardigan |
| Portuguese | cardigã, cardigan |
| Spanish | chaqueta de punto, cárdigan, rebeca |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does cardigan come from?
Named after British military commander James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan (1797–1868). For the surname, see Cardigan.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).